Certain Drug Types Associated With Risk for Dementia

TUESDAY, Jan. 21, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Antimicrobials, vaccines, and anti-inflammatories are associated with a reduced risk for Alzheimer disease and dementia, while antipsychotics and drugs for diabetes are associated with an increased risk, according to a review published online Jan. 21 in Alzheimer”s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions.

Benjamin R. Underwood, Ph.D., from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and colleagues conducted a systematic review to examine the association between a range of prescribed medications and dementia risk. Fourteen studies with administrative or medical records data from more than 130 million individuals and 1 million dementia cases were included.

The researchers found that some themes emerged for drug classes with biological plausibility, despite inconsistencies in identifying specific drugs that may modify Alzheimer disease or dementia risk. Reduced risk was seen in association with antimicrobials, vaccinations, and anti-inflammatories, while an increased risk was seen in association with diabetes drugs, vitamins and supplements, and antipsychotics. Evidence for antihypertensives and antidepressants was found to be conflicting.

“Though the results are not immediately clear-cut for individual drugs, some expected and some unexpected patterns have emerged,” the authors write. “Understanding whether drugs in current use could be repurposed for use in dementia is an urgent priority and will become more important with the emergence of platform trials in the field.”

One author disclosed ties to Lilly and TauRx.

Abstract/Full Text